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hole, to line it with planks, for he said he wanted to catchfish and put them in it. When the hole was deep he got in,as he said he wanted to see whether it was large enough.He lay down and stretched himself out, told them to wrapround him with the straw mat and cover him all over withearth with the exception of his head. When they had doneso, he told them that he was the dead man whom theyoungman had saved from disgrace. When the ship had beenfoundering, at his request, God allowed him to come downand save them. He had now requited his benefactor and heasked them to fill up the grave and give him proper burial.They did so and returned to the young man's home.440.[ Another variant.]

A great scholar, who spent his time studying with hispupils, got a son in his old age. He kept him in the house,never allowing him to go out but gave him more and moreof his time. The pupils became jealous of the young boyand one day they took him out of his father's house andshowed him the world of which he knew nothing. On hisreturn, he reproached his father who henceforth went outwith him and showed him everything. The students usedto go to a distant country to trade for a month every year,and with the profit they made they used to live for theremaining II months. They persuaded the young man togo with them. The father gave him 1000 dinars, and nosooner had they reached the foreign country, than theyleft him. He wandered about in search of his companions.A merchant took him in and the next morning he saw agreat commotion in the market- place. The rabbi had diedand the sultan would not allow the burial unless the Jewspaid him a debt of 1000 dinars. The young man went tothe sultan, found favour in his eyes, paid the money andobtained permission to bury the rabbi. The father wasgreatly satisfied. Next year, again urged by his father'spupils, the young man asked for 10,000 dinars. They lefthim again and again the merchant took him. The nextmorning, he bought by auction for 10,000 dinars a Spanish